Year in Review: Youkilis had another great year, posting a wOBA of .413 – good for fifth best in the league. He has always taken a ton of walks, so his .400+ OBP is not entirely surprising, but in 2009 Youkilis solidified the power gains he made in 2008 (an ISO above .240 both years). Before '08, Youkilis coupled his great on-base skills with just middling power (for a corner infielder). Actually, in 2009 he combined the high walk rate of his early career with the power of 2008 to have his best year yet. In addition, Youkilis, taking full advantage of Fenway, has a very high BABIP (.340), which allows him to keep his batting average high in spite of a strikeout rate above 20%.

The Year Ahead: Youkilis is a very good hitter, but some of his skills do not translate to HR/AVG/R/RBI/SB fantasy baseball, since a big portion of his value comes from doubles and walks. Still, he should provide solid value in homers, average, runs, and RBI. Fenway turns some potential homers to doubles, so he is not a truly elite homer hitter (mid-20s with a 30-ish ceiling being a realistic expectation). In addition, all of his walks limit his RBI potential compared to elite power hitters. On the other hand, Youkilis projects to have a .300 average, higher than most power hitters, and has both first- and third-base eligibility. In leagues that count doubles, walks, or OBP, his value increases. (Dave Allen)

Profile: Youkilis has long been a solid fantasy option due to his overall ability to hit the ball and get on base while playing for teams with strong lineups. Even though it hasn’t been his primary position since 2004, Youkilis has always played enough at the hot corner to give him 3B eligibility year after year. After manning third only twice during 2010, his magical eligibility was in question. However, once the Red Sox made the move and acquired Adrian Gonzalez to play first base, it was clear that Youkilis would be 3B eligible yet again, and would be playing third every day. Youk’s power has looked good over the past three years, even with an injury-shortened 2010 on his resume. Last season was actually a revelation of sorts for Youkilis, as he significantly increased his contact rate while maintaining a high slugging percentage. While a thumb injury prematurely ended his 2010 season, it looks like he’ll be healed up and ready to go come spring training. Youkilis should be a top-five third baseman in 2011, and is even worthy of a draft pick to be your starting first baseman if you so choose. (Zach Sanders)

The Quick Opinion: With third-base eligibility back under his belt, Youkilis is going to be a top-five fantasy option at the hot corner. He's no spring chicken, but he's still got some good years left in him.

Profile: Kevin Youkilis is rather difficult to predict. In 2011, he had his worst offensive year in five seasons, posting a .258/.373/.459, but that’s still a line that a lot of third basemen would kill for. He played through multiple injuries in 2011, as he seemingly often does, and managed to still hit 17 home runs and drive in 80 runs. Youkilis continued to flash his great batting eye with a walk rate over 13% and his isolated slugging of .202 was right in line with his career averages. He might have a body that seems older, but he’s only going to be 33 in March, and if he can avoid all barrage of ailments, I’d consider him a good bounce-back candidate -- but there’s not a single year that Youkilis has been injury-free, so you have to prepare for his absences. If he can stay healthy for 150 games, Youkilis is a top five third base option, but prepare for the possibility that you have him for just 100. (Michael Barr)

The Quick Opinion: Kevin Youkilis is a top-five third basemen if healthy, but the chances he stays healthy are slim. He is a classic high-risk and high-reward player.

Profile: It's dangerous to pay too much attention to home/road splits, but it's also dangerous to ignore them completely when they are at extremes. And that is the sort of split Youkilis had last season. At US Cellular Field, he hit for a .294 ISO in 164 plate appearances. Elsewhere, he hit for a .121 ISO in 345 PA. The reason for this could have been the Cell's egregious park factor for right-handed hitter home runs. At 143, it was the second-highest in the majors last season according to StatCorner. With Yankee Stadium scoring a neutral 101, that is something to keep in mind. On the other hand, Youkilis will hit in a deep lineup, and will have a good chance to rack up RBI, which should help those who play in standard 5x5 leagues. However, that may also be mitigated by the fact that Youkilis has had trouble staying on the field recently. He hasn't played 130 or more games in a season since 2009. In each of the past two seasons, he was counted on to start at third base, but he only started 111 and 107 games in 2011 and 2012, respectively. If Youkilis can stay on the field, he could be good for a .280 average, with 15 homers and 80 runs and RBI, but he is getting old in a hurry, so if you draft him, make sure to have a good back-up plan. (Paul Swydan)

The Quick Opinion: Youkilis revived his career a bit on the south side of Chicago and landed in a cushy spot in the Bronx for 2013, but don't expect him to suddenly start hitting like he did from 2008-10.

Profile: Kevin Youkilis did not carry over his 2012 late-season bounce into 2013, posting an ugly .290 weighted on-base average over 118 early season plate appearances for the Yankees. The news got worse for the 34-year-old after his slow start, as a bulging disk in his back caused the rapidly aging corner infielder to sit out the remainder of 2013. While some major league teams showed interest in investing in him as a bench player in 2014, the Rakuten Golden Eagles decided he would make a good partner for Andruw Jones in Japan's Pacific League. To Youkilis' credit, four million dollars is about five times what he was going to get in the States. Here's to hoping he likes sake. (Colin Zarzycki)

The Quick Opinion: Unless you A) found a time machine and plan to clean up in fantasy leagues between the years of 2008 and 2010 or B) have friends in Japan who really, really want to start a fantasy baseball league, you shouldn't be drafting Kevin Youkilis.